“Back on the farm, we threw bales of hay down from the hay loft to feed the cows. Our cat waited for us to lift a bale to see if there might be a mouse nest. Most of the time, when mice went running, the cat came up empty. He couldn’t commit to one mouse when so many were present.
Options are shiny distractions that drain energy and dilute opportunity until commitments are made.
“The courage of commitment is the ability to eradicate options.”
Lead team members to make commitments:
It doesn’t matter how many alternatives are on the table if you don’t understand the power and cost of eliminating options.
Danger:
It’s easy to reject an ugly idea. The truly dangerous thing is a bright shiny idea that dilutes your resolve to commitment to a clear path forward.
Shiny new ideas are more dangerous than ugly dumb ideas.
From option to commitment:
#1. How are you willing to take responsibility?
Begin by exploring options. Move quickly to asking team members what they are willing to commit to do.
How are you willing to inconvenience yourself to bring this commitment into reality?
#2. What are you willing to invest?
Investment transforms imagination to reality.
- How much time are you willing to invest?
- How much energy are you willing to divert from current activities?
- How many resources are you willing to allocate?
#3. What are you willing to stop?
‘Having it all’ is a savage lie that drains our belief in the necessity of eliminating good options.
If your schedule is already full, any meaningful commitment requires you to take something out of your bucket. Those who keep all their options open end up paralyzed or frantic, and always over-committed.
How might leaders help team members make commitments?
Where does the courage to explore commitments over discussing options come from?”
CT3 Team
Check out CT3 Education programs such as No-Nonsense Nurturer, Real Time Teacher Coaching, and Real Time Leadership Coaching to find out more about Professional Development for Teachers and Leaders, classroom management strategies, and building relationships with students and their families, and properly addressing important issues in the classroom and school.
Category: Change, Leadership
